The Priest's Dagger
by Enderdeath731
Summary: In the world of Mianite, Declan is just 'the priest.' No ever considers that maybe he needs a friend. Someone who can laugh at his jokes. Someone who can help him find the fastest horse in all the land. Someone who can talk him out of using the dagger under his bed... Rated 'T' for depression. Fourth in the Mianite collection.
1. Katerinia

**Hey ya'll, it's Enderdeath! I hope you're having a great day, but I don't know if I'll make it any better with the releasing of this new story... So yeah. Same challenge, 10 chapters, updated daily, between 1,000 and 2,000 words per chapter. This chapter has 1,160 words. NOTE: I do not own Mianite, any YouTubers mentioned, Minecraft, and really, I don't own anything except the idea. ALSO: I am ****not**** claiming the real Declan actually deals with this sort of thing, nor do I; this is purely fantasy.**

The Priest's Dagger

Declan could already tell; it was going to be 'one of those days.'

He knew it from the moment he woke up and saw the Wither staring at him through his large bay window.

Dec sighed and got out of bed, slowly dragging his feet against the ground. It appears the mortals had been fighting mobs in a battle again. He never much liked the thought of killing anything, even it was hostile. That's why he had been so reluctant for an obsidian battle arena to be built right outside his bedroom.

It's not like mobs attacked him anyway. He often had hostile creatures around his house, and was actually pretty good friends with a blaze that he had named 'Asandi.' To tell the truth, Asandi was pretty much his only friend.

Sad, but Dec had grown used to it.

So now he was curious as the Wither boss tilted its right head, huffing impatiently. He quickly ran out of his room and down the spiral staircase, saying a hello to his pet wolf, who was lying at the bottom of the stairs. Dec sprinted out of his front door and rounded the corner sharply, moving quickly through the tunnel.

He burst out onto the pale sidewalk where the Wither waited. "Good morning," Dec told the Wither, panting slightly. The Wither dipped its three heads in unison; its own special kind of greeting.

_Good morning,_ the Wither's crackly voice spoke in Dec's mind and he smiled, always impressed by the boss's special ability. He was able to tell that this particular Wither was rather young – and female too; a rarity amongst Withers.

"What can I do to help you, ma'am?" Dec spoke politely, not particularly wanting to get shot with a wither skull. The Wither made a sound that resembled human laughter.

_"__First off, my name is Katerinia, but you can call me Kat. I came here because I accidentally destroyed my Nether portal to home. Then, some of the armoured mortals tried to shoot me but I was too fast for them. I met a pale one and he told me that I should go to you and that you would help me." _Kat's voice echoed in itself, coming from the fact that Withers had three mouths.

"Well, I will certainly assist you, Kat. In fact, the Nether portal in the courtyard should be big enough that you can fit through. Just fly over that side of the mountain and you'll see the portal's glow," Dec grinned as all three of Kat's mouths smiled.

_"__Thanks,"_ She crackled, flying swiftly over the side of the mountain, a trail of smoke in her wake. Dec watched as she disappeared over the small ridge, before the _whooshing_ sound of an active Nether portal signified that she had gone back home.

Dec felt a twinge of loneliness but he shoved the heavy feeling away. It wouldn't do any good if the mortals saw him for what he really was. He didn't need to be moping around as he did tasks around the world.

It would be a lie if Dec said he sometimes wished he was normal.

It would be the truth if Dec said he always wished he could be normal.

Because the full truth was that Dec was a demigod. He wasn't sure which god was his actual father because all he remembered was his mortal mother's face as she lay in her coffin and his abusive step-father's harsh words against him.

Yeah, he hadn't had the best of life when he was younger.

Dec sighed, trying to shove the memories to the back of his mind. If he let his memories take over, he would spiral down into despair.

To try and distract himself from what was running through his mind, Dec decided to go and visit the Mianite temple to see what the god of the Overworld was up to.

Which meant he better get going because it was a long, long walk to the temple.

XxX

"Lord Mianite," Dec bowed as the god of purity shimmered into existence in front of him. Mianite blinked, his marbled white eyes emotionless as always.

"Greetings Declan," Mianite's voice was heavy and tired, making it sound like he was thoroughly exhausted.

Dec couldn't help but wonder what was going on to make Mianite so tired, but he knew it would be rude to phrase his question like he how was thinking it. "May I ask what troubles you, my lord?"

Mianite sighed. "Furia, Dianite's old guardian, has decided to wage war against all humanity and godly forms. That means my powers will be pushed to their limits. The land will be destroyed and the mortals incinerated. I will be using up all of my energy to protect them from the brunt of Furia's wrath, which means I cannot play a very big part in this war. Dianite is reluctant to assist in killing Furia as he still suspects it's a trap, and of course Ianite is still regaining her strength. That leaves us with a very pitiful army. I don't exactly expect Furia to run away in terror when he sees two gods at half-strength and one half-willing god standing up to him."

"I wish I could help you," Dec said regretfully. "But I made a vow never to partake in battle."

"And I respect your decision," Mianite sighed again. "I will not ask you to join this fight. I am just concerned about the safety of the mortals – and of course you, my dear priest."

Dec felt a sudden feeling of uselessness strike his heart and he lowered his head, not wanting Mianite to see the doubt in his eyes. "You don't need to protect me. I have my own kind of guardians."

"Oh really?" Dec didn't miss the note of suspicion in Mianite's voice. It pained him to think that the god he served didn't trust him, but he pushed it aside.

"You did not know?" Dec asked. "All normally hostile mobs are peaceful around me. My best friend is a blaze named Asandi and I helped Katerinia, a Wither, just earlier this morning."

Mianite's eyes grew stormy and he scowled. "I don't think you realize what this means, Declan. You aren't doing any harm right now, but I'm not sure what to think of you anymore."

Dec's heart sank as Mianite disappeared into thin air, leaving his final words hanging in the almost nonexistent breeze. Mianite didn't like the fact that he was friends with and could help hostile mobs, but it wasn't like he had a choice with his ability.

So that meant he just had to shut up and deal with it.

Or, there was another option. He didn't like it, but maybe it was necessary. It would require doing something that would probably be very painful and bring back even more bad memories.

But Dec promised himself he would try it that night.

**So! Dec is a demigod with a bad past... doesn't sound like a good combination, does it?**

**Random Observation: If you want to guess who Dec's father is, review saying '#Dianitethepickle' for Dianite, '#Mianitethepotato' for Mianite, and if you want to be silly, '#Ianitethecookie' for Ianite!  
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	2. Dagger

**Hey ya'll, it's Enderdeath! I hope you're having a great day, but I don't know if I'll make it any better with this new chapter... So yeah. This chapter has 1,476 words. NOTE: I do not own Mianite, any YouTubers mentioned, Minecraft, and really, I don't own anything except the idea. ALSO: I am ****not**** claiming the real Declan actually deals with this sort of thing, nor do I; this is purely fantasy.**

Chapter 2

Dec knelt down, grunting a little as his hands settled in a faint layer of dust. He peered under his bed, searching for something he would have never thought he'd actually use.

_There_, Dec found what he was looking for a pulled out a dark mahogany box. It was shaped almost like a coffin, with ornate designs of war scenes, plagues, and corpses piled up.

_It's a very cheerful design, _Dec thought sarcastically. He undid the hinge and opened the box, staring at what lay inside of the polished wooden shell.

A dagger lay resting on sky blue silk, its diamond blade shining like the clearest ocean. The obsidian handle was blacker than the void and Dec took a deep breath, gazing at the weapon.

"Never thought it would have come down to this," Dec muttered, picking up the dagger. It was lightweight in his hands and he felt almost sick to his stomach that such a beautiful blade was eventually going to be the end of him.

So without any further hesitation, Dec let the tip of the blade pierce his skin a few inches below his left wrist.

The pain was surprisingly dull as blood welled up around the edge of the small cut. Dec dragged the blade a little further down his arm, wincing when the cut started to hurt a bit more. He gritted his teeth as he extracted the dagger from his flesh, blood slowly running down the diamond surface.

Dec examined the scratch. It was fairly shallow and had already stopped bleeding, but there was still scarlet blood smeared around the edges of the cut.

Dec felt an odd sense of emptiness, as though he had done nothing at all. It neither satisfied him, nor made him feel like he desired more pain. It wasn't a feeling he welcomed nor declined. It was sort of – neutral.

Dec put the knife back in the box, gently closing the lid with his right hand, not willing to move his left hand. He tucked the box back under his bed, hiding it away. Without consciously thinking, he decided that he would only give himself one cut per day.

Now came the matter of how he would disguise the scars. Since he was only wearing a ragged red T-shirt at the moment, it didn't do a good job of hiding the dark red lines etched into his arm. He didn't want anyone finding out just yet.

Dec thought for a moment and decided he would wrap bandages around the cuts, and if anyone asked, he would say he had run into a cactus on accident. A lame excuse, but as long as no one pushed their inquiry too far, he would be fine.

Dec walked over to his bedside cabinet, opening it and finding a roll of bandages. He wrapped them carefully around his wrist, making sure the cuts were completely hidden. Once he finished, Dec sat down on his bed, sighing.

He wanted his misery to end, sure, but something made him hesitate to just finish it so quickly. Dec didn't know what was stopping him from just carving his wrist completely open, but he was going to wait.

Maybe it was the fact that he wasn't brave enough, but for now, Dec was fine with that.

Dec sighed again and stood up, holding his wrist stiffly. He walked out of his bedroom, slowly descending the spiral staircase. He walked out of the door, and seeing Tom wandering around inside the fortress, went to go greet him.

"Greetings, Mr. Syndicate," Dec said, forcing himself to sound cheerful. Tom spun around, smiling when he saw Dec.

"Hey there, Dec!" Tom's eyes lit up. He noticed the bandages on Dec's wrist and the smile faded slightly from his lips. "What did you do to your arm?"

"I had an accident with a cactus," Dec lied, sticking with his excuse.

"How unfocused were you to not see a big, green, spiky cactus right before you ran into it?" Tom tilted his head.

"On a scale of one to ten with ten being the highest, I'd say my unfocused level was at eleven," Dec joked. Tom snorted, shaking his head in mock despair.

"What are we ever going to do with you, my dear Declan?" Tom sighed dramatically. "If you keep running into cacti, you're eventually going to be nothing but a pincushion!"

"Tell me about it!" Dec laughed, the sparkle of humour returning to his eyes. He felt a weight momentarily lift from his shoulders as he talked with Tom, able to feel completely at ease for once.

"Say Dec, do you wanna try some PvP parkour in the Coliseum with me and Jordan a little later? I was going over to ask User if he wanted to join us as well." Tom's dark eyes gleamed with excitement.

"Sure!" Dec grinned. "Keep in mind I'm awful at parkour though."

"So is User and we're still inviting him," Tom winked. "It doesn't matter how good you are as long as you have a fun time!"

XxX

Dec stepped on the pressure plate outside of the PvP parkour arena, feeling the now-familiar dizzy feeling of being teleported, even if it was only a few blocks. He blinked a few times, the world coming back into focus. He was standing on a wooden platform that was raised high up above the water on the bottom of the arena. There was a ladder on every side so it would be easy to climb back up once you fell.

"Hey Dec!" Dec looked up from observing the Coliseum and saw User standing on the opposite side of the arena. Dec steeled his nerves and jumped from platform to platform, moving swiftly. He reached User's little platform and grinned, brushing some stray ginger hair out of his eyes.

"What's up?" he asked, wincing as he shifted his left arm. User noticed but didn't question it.

"Not much. I'm about to fail miserably at parkour," User snorted. "What's up with you?"

"About the same," Dec shrugged. "I'm not quite sure why Tom invited me to play with him and Jordan, but oh well."

User laughed. "Well the rules of this are you get a knockback three stick and a bow equipped with infinity, but I changed it slightly so it will only shoot blunt arrows that won't kill or pierce your skin."

"Thanks User," Dec smiled. "I owe you one for that."

"Hey! Are we gonna start or are you two just going to stand there chattering away like blue jays?" Jordan's impatient voice rang out across the arena and Dec jumped slightly, startled. He quickly crossed the arena to the only empty platform, which was in between Tom and Jordan.

"In the right corner of the circular arena," Jordan began, using his announcer's voice, "We have the infamous wizard, User! In the left corner we have Declan, the priest! Across the arena, we have the one and only Tom Syndicate! And finally, the best of the best, Jordan Sparklez! Let the battle begin!" Jordan shouted, immediately taking aim at Tom with his bow. He let the arrow fly, which Tom easily dodged. Tom began leaping across the platforms, making his way over to Jordan, but yelped when User's arrow connected with his left shoulder, knocking him into the water.

Dec grinned and charged at User, brandishing his knockback stick. Suddenly, he screamed as pain flooded through his left arm, sending him tumbling down onto his platform. He glanced at his bandages and saw the edge of a dark purple bruise already blooming from under the white cloth where Jordan's blunt arrow had hit him.

Dec quickly scrambled to his feet, blinking tears of pain back. He swiftly parkoured over to Jordan, smacking him off with one hit from the knockback stick.

He turned to face User, but before he could do anything else, another arrow hit him on his injuries. The only problem was that with this arrow, the arrowhead was made of sharp flint. It dug into his flesh, sending agony blossoming up his arm as it pierced the cut.

Dec's vision blurred with tears as he looked at Jordan, whose eyes were dark with bitterness. He had just drawn back his bow again, ready with another painful arrow.

Dec didn't take any chances and dove into the water, swiftly swimming over to the side with the teleporter. He did his best to climb up the ladder with one hand, sobs escaping his lips every few seconds. He could hear User and Tom shouting his name, calling for him to come back, but he ignored them. As soon as he was out of the arena he ran back to his house, his only intent to retrieve the dagger again.

And all the way, tears were streaming down Dec's cheeks.

**Oh dear... Jordan lost control of his temper and there will be severe consequences...**

**Random Observation: I drew all of the hastags last chapter and posted them on DeviantArt! If you want to see, the link is in my profile!**

**TheAmazingQwerty: #Dianitethepickle FTW!**

**Chocolate: #Ianitethecookie is an angry cookie!  
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**Lieutenant Side Salad: You may be correct with #Mianitethe(derpy)potato!**

**DiamondScribe: Thank you! #Dianitethedillpickle!**

**Ianitethecookie: LOL! Best name ever!**

**RusYRP: You got that right! And maybe... ;)**

**KittKaz: Well, I guess there's no way you can get Dec's father wrong! XD And... Tom? KittKaz, did you and Tom leave a review together?! (You legit sounded like Tom!)**


	3. Demigod

**Hey ya'll, it's Enderdeath! I hope you're having a great day, but I don't know if I'll make it any better with this new chapter... So yeah. This chapter has 1,415 words. NOTE: I do not own Mianite, any YouTubers mentioned, Minecraft, and really, I don't own anything except the idea. ALSO: I am ****not**** claiming the real Declan actually deals with this sort of thing, nor do I; this is purely fantasy.**

Chapter 3

Dec stared numbly at the gold ingots in front of him. Over the past few days, the cuts on his arms had multiplied at a terrifyingly rapid rate. He had been feeling more and more listless, and could now barely summon up the energy to get out of bed.

"Dec? Are you feeling all right?" Dec glanced up as Champwan's question reached his ears. His old assistant was staring at him with a worried gaze.

"To tell the truth, I've got some cuts that are getting infected," Dec could no longer bring himself to lie. He slowly unwrapped his bandages, revealing the long scars criss-crossing the length of his left arm. Champwan gasped quietly and immediately started rummaging through some cabinets behind him, searching for something intently.

Champwan straightened back up, a small bottle filled with a gray-green salve held in his hands. He uncorked it, dipping his index finger into the paste.

"Lay your arm right here, Dec," Champwan tapped a place on the counter right in front of him. Dec forced himself to move his arm, letting it rest where Champwan had indicated, gritting his teeth to keep from crying out in pain. Champwan spread the salve over Dec's cuts, eyes narrowed in concentration, yet filled with sorrow.

Dec sighed in relief as a cool feeling spread over his arm, numbing the pain. "Thanks Champwan," Dec half-smiled.

"I know how you got these cuts, Dec," Champwan spoke slowly, avoiding Dec's gaze. "I don't know why you did it, but I only want to help you."

Dec pulled his arm away and averted his gaze, not wanting Champwan to see the tears welling up in his eyes. "I'm sorry," he whispered, standing still as Champwan walked around the counter.

"Dec, please understand what I'm about to say," Champwan voice was soft, yet firm. "I'm not here to judge you. I'm here to be your friend. If you ever need help, please, please come to me."

Dec trembled. "I'm just scared of trusting any - anyone." Champwan suddenly pulled Dec into a hug, his arms wrapping around the shorter priest.

"What did I just tell you?" He murmured, voice slurred with tears. "I'm here to be your friend. Never think that I won't be." Dec felt a warm relief spread through him and he felt the conflict in his heart ease off slightly for a moment.

"Thanks," he breathed, closing his eyes.

Champwan backed away and put his hand under Dec's chin, lifting his head so they were looking at each other eye to eye. "Now you need a place to stay while you heal. I'm more than willing to let you be my houseguest. I can take care of you." Dec turned his head away.

"I can't ask you to do that," Dec felt sorrow creeping through him again. "I'm too much of a problem already."

Champwan narrowed his eyes, pulling the bandana down from his mouth. "I'm ordering you now - never call yourself a problem again. You are not a problem. And you weren't asking me - I was telling you."

Dec started backing away, his desperation to be alone becoming overwhelming. "Don't do that for me," Dec shook his head as Champwan took a step after him. "Don't burden yourself."

Champwan's eyes blazed. "You are not a burden!" Champwan raised his voice and Dec flinched. "I will not let you call yourself that!"

"That's all I am though," Dec's voice was barely audible. "I'm of no use to any of you."

Champwan buried his face in his hands, drawing in a shaky breath. "Why do you think that?" Champwan whispered. "What have any of us done to make you believe that?"

"Jordan," Dec answered. "He couldn't care less. Tucker sometimes forgets that I exist. Don't even get me started on Sonja."

"But what about Tom? Or Aurey?" Champwan pressed. "Tom is proud to be friends with you, and Aurey's told me several times that she thinks you're an interesting person to be around."

"Aurey's nice to everyone. So is Tom. It wouldn't matter to much to them if I were to -" Dec took a deep breath, "If I were to kill myself."

Champwan closed his eyes and with a start, Dec realized his old assistant was crying. Crystal tears were tracing their way down his cheeks and Champwan wiped them away with his scarlet bandana.

"It would matter to me," Champwan drew in a shuddering breath. "Dec, when you found me, I was lost and alone. You saved my life. I can never repay that. If you – if you died in that way, I would never be able to get over it."

"You would. You don't need me around," Dec turned away, sprinting out of Champwan's fortress without looking back. He heard Champwan call his name, pleading for him to come back, but Dec ignored him, with only one destination in mind where he could escape.

The Nether.

XxX

_It was April 30th when Dec learned he was a demigod._

_He didn't mean to find out, nor did he anticipate the consequences. And to be perfectly honest, he really preferred the ground before the crater._

_But it really wasn't his fault either._

_It had been a bad day already. The weather was miserable, raining and cold. It was three years to the day since his mother had died. His father was absent from the house, but Dec could hear him shouting obscenities from inside the local bar._

_Which brought him to remember yet again that he was living in possibly the worst town in all of Minecraftia. Sure, it was small, but between the black market, the illegal wolf fighting arena and the sketchiest bar known to even the gods, add on the lack of law enforcement and 'bingo!' You had Dec's current home._

_Thankfully, the corruption did not extend to the birch woods, where Dec was currently sitting on a fallen tree. The woods were his only place of refuge, refuge from the horrible reality that made up his life._

_Unless of course, the horrible reality that made up his life decided to come to him._

_Dec's eyes widened as the rancid stench of alcohol and vomit drifted through the trees, becoming increasingly more pungent. The young boy stood up as a brute of a man stumbled through the trees, bearing a remarkable resemblance to a wild hog. The man's face was scrunched up, his eyes were watery, and his lips were distorted into a sneer. One hand was curled around a half empty bottle of beer, and the other was curled around nothing, forming a fist._

_"Multalta," Dec tried to back away, but he was knocked to the ground by the man, Multalta. He closed his eyes, bracing himself._

_He merely gritted his teeth when Multalta swung his hand at Dec's shoulder, sending a jolt of pain rushing to the bone. Even if it was Dec's own father who was doing this, it didn't bother him too much emotionally as there was no feeling of consanguinity between them._

_Dec scrambled to his feet, his eyes filled with a hard resolve. "You think it takes a punch to break me?" He taunted, knowing full well that he would probably have a mouth full of broken teeth within the next five seconds._

_Multalta's eyes flared with anger and he dropped his beer bottle, letting it shatter on the ground. He lunged at Dec, both hands closing around the boy's throat._

_Dec's gasped hoarsely and he vainly clawed at Multalta's hands, the struggle to breath becoming overwhelming. Fire seemed to burn inside his lungs and he finally shoved away from Multalta, wheezing as he attempted to breathe regularly again._

_"More than a punch, boy? Is that what you asked for?" Multalta's voice was deep, rough, and slurred. "Well from now on, that's what you'll get."_

_Dec screamed, a sudden burst of rage exploding inside him. Dark red lightning struck the ground mere inches from his feet and both he and Multalta were thrown back from the force of the explosion. Black spots danced in front of Dec's eyes and his ears were ringing._

_When Dec could see clearly again, he looked around for Multalta. His stepfather had fled the clearing, leaving the boy alone with the smoking crater where the lightning had struck._

_Dec studied his hands as if he were just realizing they were his own._

_"Well," Dec said aloud. "It looks like I may be a demigod."_

**Dec retreats to the Nether for safety... he can summon bolts of dark red lightning... he can talk with mobs... if that doesn't prove who Dec's father is, nothing will! **

**Random Observation: **"KittKaz: Uh- who's gonna die to your hands, Mr. Thomas?  
>Tom: OH I don't know, maybe JORDAN because he'll probably be dead before he gets bloody TRIAALED FOR BREAKING ARENA RULES DAMNIT! Jardon, your one job was to follow the rules. Not even a Dianitee like me would stoop that low. Kitt, EXPLAIN TO ME WHAT SPARKLY DICK WAS THINKING."<strong>  
><strong>

**RusYRP: Don't you worry, Qwerty and I trialed Sparkly Pants - we gave him makeup, bunny slippers, and a sombrero as his punishment!**

**TheAmazingQwerty: DEC, NO! COME BACK!**

**ironhideandratchet4ever: :(  
><strong>

**DiamondScribe: 'Deccy-weccy' - I was so sad about the rest of your review, but I kept laughing whenever I read 'Deccy-weccy!' Simply brilliant!**

**Ianitethecookie: Indeed! Very necessary!**

**KittKaz: I had to include that above phrase! I couldn't stop laughing! But I have to warn you... Dec's 'problem' will only get worse...**


	4. We Need to go Deeper

**Hey ya'll, it's Enderdeath! I hope you're having a great day, but I don't know if I'll make it any better with this new chapter... So yeah. This chapter has 1,245 words. NOTE: I do not own Mianite, any YouTubers mentioned, Minecraft, and really, I don't own anything except the idea. ALSO: I am ****not**** claiming the real Declan actually deals with this sort of thing, nor do I; this is purely fantasy.**

Chapter 4

Dec swung the pickaxe down yet again, the netherrack crumbling to red and black grains. In a short amount of time, he had cleared out a little cave, perfect for hiding out. He poked his head back into the hot, dry air of the nether, leaving the relative coolness of his little temporary home for a few seconds.

He blinked, the gritty air stinging his eyes. Dec crawled back into the cave, dragging his rucksack filled with all his supplies. He piled up Nether grit in front of the entrance to his little cave, packing it closely and tightly to make sure it would not be easy for anyone to break in and find him.

Yes. Dec had run away and was hiding in the nether. Irony at its finest, really, since the humans saw him as Mianite's priest, not Dianite's. It made no sense, but strangely enough, the Nether was the only place where Dec felt… safe.

Dec pulled a blanket out of his rucksack, spreading it over a portion of the gravelly floor. He placed down a torch and lit it, illuminating the area. Asides from water and his dagger, which still remained in the rucksack, that was the extent of Dec's provisions.

So finding nothing else to do in his new cavern home, Dec stretched out on the blanket, falling asleep quickly in the sweltering heat.

The sound of something's rattling breath jolted Dec awake, and he narrowed his eyes, wondering what was making that noise. He dug out the netherrack gravel and peered outside, breaking into a smile when he saw Asandi floating in front of him. The blaze's flaming rods moved up and down in a mesmerizing way, but the smoke just about covered them.

_"Declan?" _Asandi spoke. _"What are you doing here? Why are you hiding?"_

"Hey Asandi," Dec greeted, not answering the Nether mob's questions.

_"I asked you a question," _Asandi huffed. _"Why are you hiding in the Nether?"_

"The overworld holds no promise for me," Dec sighed. "No one needs me around so I left."

_"Why would you say no one needs you?" _Asandi tilted his head in a questioning manner. _"You're their priest."_

"Champwan can converse with the gods as well as I can. And honestly, I have no friends in the overworld," Dec rubbed his left arm. The cuts had healed quickly after Champwan put the medicine on them, leaving nothing but faint white scars.

Asandi noticed the scars and narrowed his eyes. _"Have they hurt you, Declan?"_ Asandi asked. _"If they have I will kill them myself."_

"No, no," Dec said hurriedly. "You see – I did this. I made these scars."

_"Why, Declan?" _Asandi sounded confused. _"Why did you hurt yourself?"_

Dec wasn't sure if he could say anything. Asandi was innocent. He knew the difference between enemy and friend but didn't understand why disagreements or wars happened. He knew the difference between happy and sad, but he didn't know what triggered those particular emotions to rise.

"It's complicated, Asandi," Dec muttered awkwardly, rubbing his arm yet again. "You wouldn't understand."

_"I understand you're hurting," _Asandi murmured. _"I don't need to know about the causes of human emotions to understand that. I'm not a fool, Declan. You treat me like a child, but I'm not. I'm your friend and friends are supposed to help you."_

"That's what Champwan said too," Dec closed his eyes. "But I told him he shouldn't try."

Asandi smirked. _"I think I know more about humans than you do, Dec. If someone's really your friend, then they'll all they can to help you."_

"I know, Asandi," Dec sighed. "And that's exactly why I left."

XxX

Dec studied his dagger, turned it over and over in his hands. He glanced at his arm, the scars already completely healed over.

"Like a painting that's been washed off its canvas," Dec grunted, rolling over to lie on his back. The blanket he had brought was thick and soft; quite comfortable to lie on. "But I suppose comfort doesn't matter in this desolate place."

It had been a few hours since Dec's conversation with Asandi, and his stomach was growling with hunger. Dec blinked, trying to ignore the feeling. He hadn't brought any food with him; only water.

He sat up and opened his bottle of water, wincing at the acrid taste it now held from being in the Nether. It tasted like ash but he drank eagerly, the liquid not satisfying his hunger for food.

Dec sighed, closing his water bottle and lying back down. Maybe he should just sleep for a while. But he wasn't tired; not yet.

So Dec did the only other thing he could do.

He picked up the dagger with his left hand, and positioning the blade just below his right shoulder, drove it halfway to its hilt into his flesh.

Dec gasped in pain, not realizing the force in which he had shoved the dagger into his arm. He squeezed his eyes shut, forcing his trembling hand to etch a shape deep into his skin.

Many tears and much agony later, Dec lay sobbing on the ground, blood streaming down from his arm and pooling on the floor of the little Nether cave. A skull had been carved deep into Dec's upper arm, and the dagger that had done it was resting right beside Dec's hand from where it had fallen.

Dec shuddered, agony washing over his arm and resonating all through his bones. The bleeding wasn't stopping and the scarlet liquid was only pouring out faster. The gritty netherrack shifted under Dec as a spasm of pain overtook him. He writhed on the ground, crying out. He begged for someone to help him, to end his pain. He called upon Mianite, who had rejected him. He called upon Ianite, who was imprisoned and could not appear to him even if she wished so. And in a moment of desperation, Dec, tears running down his face, pleaded for Dianite to come and kill him.

Finally, Dec opened his eyes and looked around. He couldn't even summon up the energy to yelp in fear when he saw a dark red figure kneeling by his side, with horns curling from its head and a devil's tail wrapped around its legs.

"Lord Dia - Dianite," Dec whispered hoarsely, closing his eyes again. "If you have any m - mercy, end my life now."

"I cannot do that," Dianite's voice was soft, and surprisingly very gentle. Dec shakily opened his pain-shrouded eyes, staring at the Nether god. Dianite's face was twisted into a sorrowful expression, something that was beyond strange for the god.

"P - please!" Dec gasped through gritted teeth as another wave of biting pain racked his body. "It – it's too deep. My life will only be ag - agony until I die of bl- blood loss. I – I can't do this anymore." Dec wailed suddenly, pain shrouding his vision and seizing his heart.

Dec, no longer able to see through a haze of blood red, felt Dianite's hand on his forehead. It was strangely as cold as ice.

"Sleep," Dianite whispered. Dec almost screamed aloud. Dianite wasn't going to kill him – he was going to let Dec suffer through nightmares in his final days.

"Why?" Dec murmured, his consciousness fading rapidly. "Wh - why wouldn't you kill m - me?"

"Declan," Dianite's soothing voice reached his ears as the priest fell into the spell induced sleep. "I am your father."

**Oh noes... Dec has gone too far... will he die of blood loss like he said?**

**Random Observation: *Braces self* I know it... the feels are coming... as is the hate...**

** (seanmoran)3557: #Dianiteisthebestpickleever**

**TheAmazingQwerty: Dec really needs a friend right now!**

**Ianitethecookie: Yes! Dianite! Star wars quote!**

**RusYRP: Thank you!**

**DiamondScribe: I think this chapter will have just torn your heart out of your body...**


	5. Comin' Home

**Hey ya'll, it's Enderdeath. I hope you're having a great day but I don't know if I'll make it any better with this new chapter... so yeah. This chapter has 1,180 words. NOTE: I do not own Mianite, any YouTubers mentioned, Minecraft, and really, I don't own anything except the idea. ALSO: I am not claiming the real Declan actually deals with this sort of thing, nor do I; this is purely fantasy.**

Chapter 5

"Dec? Declan? Are you in here?" The sound of sifting netherrack and someone's voice stirred Dec from his fever-induced sleep. He blinked open his eyes blearily, seeing the piled up netherrack gravel around the entrance crumble as someone cleared it aside.

User's head poked though the netherrack, and he went through a phase of several expressions when he saw Dec; relief, confusion, and horror.

"Declan!" User cried, voice high-pitched with shock.

"What do you want?" Dec asked, voice raspy. He swallowed several times and started coughing, painfully aware of how weak he sounded. User scrambled over the pile of netherrack grit and rushed over to Dec, falling into a crouch as he reached the ill priest's side. Dec pulled his blanket closer around right arm, hoping to hide the scars as User placed his hand on Dec's forehead, checking for a fever. Dec then tried to squirm away from User, but the wizard glared at him and gently placed his other hand on Dec's left shoulder to hold him still.

"Get off of me," Dec protested weakly. He started coughing again, but this time, he couldn't stop. User sat back, worry clear in his eyes as Dec kept coughing, feeling incredibly as he hacked up his lungs.

"Dec, you haven't eaten in days," User started, looking critically at Dec's bony form. Dec mumbled that he didn't bring any food and shifted his arm, wincing at the pain that shot through it. User frowned and rolled Dec onto his back, ignoring his protests as the red marks on his arm were revealed.

"Declan!" User cried out in shock when he saw Dec's scars, still encrusted with dried blood. "What have you done?"

"Leave me alone!" Dec screamed, his eyes blurring with tears as he jerked his arm away. "Why should you care? No one else does!"

"I'm not everyone else!" User choked, desperation very apparent in his words. Dec closed his eyes, every now and then feeling tears trickle down his cheeks.

"Please just go away," Dec whimpered. "I just want to die."

"I just want you to live," User countered. "Let me help you."

Dec shook his head. "There's nothing left for me to live for. Even if I did come back to the Overworld, it would never be the same."

"Why?" User asked curiously.

Dec took a deep breath. "I'm a demigod."

"So?" User persisted.

"Dianite is my father."

Dec expected User to flinch back in disgust, or perhaps to shove Dec away.

Dec did _not_ expect User to lean down and hug him.

"It doesn't matter to me who your father is," User whispered. "True, I'm scared of Dianite and Furia, but you are nothing like either of them." User hugged Dec a little tighter and Dec closed his eyes again, relieved that User still cared about him.

User leaned back and his mood suddenly turned serious. "Dec, when I bring you back to mine and Twisted's house to care for you, can I trust you not to use your dagger again?"

Dec avoided User's gaze, rubbing his cuts.

"Please, Dec. I don't want you to hurt yourself again," User pleaded.

"Get the mahogany box out of my rucksack," Dec murmured, keeping his gaze trained on the floor. "Give it to me." User did as Dec asked. Dec took the box, releasing the catch under its lid.

User gasped as Dec opened the box, taking out his bloodstained dagger. The obsidian hilt was as dark as the void and the diamond blade shone faintly in the dull red light of the Nether. The dried blood encrusting the edges was a sickening contrast to the crystal diamond.

"My stepfather gave this to me when I was fifteen," Dec's eyes traveled up and down the length of the blade. "He hated me. He told me to die. Then he threw this at me. It's been six years now. It's only been two weeks since I started using it."

Dec put the dagger back in the box and closed the lid. He sighed, tears starting to trickle down from the corner of his eyes again. Dec turned away from User, facing the opposite wall of the cave as he cried.

Dec felt User start to rub his back, singing softly as well.

"_Drowning, sinking _

_Lost forever _

_Alone, in pain _

_Believing never _

_Xx _

_End it all _

_Under the water _

_As you sink _

_Your heart does shatter _

_Xx _

_Thought alone _

_No one cared _

_Even with friends _

_Your pain never shared _

_Xx _

_Drowning, sinking _

_Lost forever _

_Alone, in pain _

_Believing never_"

User lingered on the last note and Dec half-smiled, chills still running down his arms and back from the eeriness of the song.

"Where did you hear that song?" Dec asked quietly.

"Nowhere. I literally just made it up," User laughed. "I do that sometimes, where words will just come to mind and I'll throw a tune on them."

Dec was silent for a few minutes, mulling over his thoughts. He was aware User hadn't moved, and was also thinking. "Did you really mean what you said earlier?" Dec asked hesitantly. "About – about taking me back to the Overworld and taking care of me while I heal?"

"Of course I did," User sounded surprised. "Why wouldn't I?"

"Well, there are several reasons no one would want me around," Dec began, still facing the wall.

"And you are not going to tell me any of those reasons either because they're not true or I don't care about them," User said firmly. "I'm not going to let you beat yourself up, Dec. You're gonna come back with me and get better."

Dec snorted, rolling over to face User. "That'd be nice, wouldn't it? Except there's no way that I can walk when I'm likely to fall unconscious at any given moment, you can't teleport to the Overworld from the Nether, and the portal's too far away for you to carry me. There's no chance that I'll be going back to the Overworld anytime soon."

"We'll find a way," User said determinedly. "If I have to teleport you bit by bit back to the Nether portal then I'll do it."

"You know as well as I do that it's dangerous to teleport someone who is wounded," Dec rolled his eyes. "I don't really want to lose any of my limbs or worse, have them attached to my head."

User gritted his teeth. "Can you suggest any other way we can get you back to the Nether portal?"

Dec opened his mouth to reply that he didn't but a deep hissing sound filled the cavern, as well as the smell of dark, cold, places. Dec's eyes widened and he broke into a grin, staring out into the open Nether. User turned around and yelped at what he saw.

Three black faces filled the entrance, white eyes glowing in the murky light. Its mouths twisted into a smile when it saw Dec and it made a pleased hissing sound.

Katerinia smirked, her right head tilted to the side. _"Sounds like you could use my help, humans."_

**Yay! Kat shows up to help! But how could User and Kat have known exactly where Dec was?**

**Random Observation: That moment when you realize Dec is cousins with an immortal goddess... (Khione, daughter of Ianite)**

**RusYRP: Dianite Vader. But they have found Dec, and he will be comin' home! *sings* I'm comin' home, I'm comin' home, tell the world I'm comin' home...**

**TheAmazingQwerty: *cries with and floods the earth***

**ironhideandratchet4ever: TEAM DIANITE FOR THE WIN!**

**MyBrokenHeart: That just happened!**

**Ianitethecookie: #funny!**

**DiamondScribe: Nononononono! Don't quit! At least, not yet...**


	6. Snap

**Hey ya'll, it's Enderdeath! I hope you're having a great day, but I don't know if I'll make it any better with this new chapter... So yeah. This chapter has 1,451 words. NOTE: I do not own Mianite, any YouTubers mentioned, Minecraft, and really, I don't own anything except the idea. ALSO: I am ****not**** claiming the real Declan actually deals with this sort of thing, nor do I; this is purely fantasy.**

Chapter 6

Dec laughed, the hot wind sweeping the hair away from his eyes. He wrapped his arms tighter around Kat's neck, clinging to her empty ribcage with his legs. Never in his life did Dec dream that riding a Wither would be so much fun.

User flew along beside them, grinning like a maniac. Once he had learned Kat was a friend he had been more than happy to let Kat carry Dec through the Nether. User was always right there though, never more than a few feet away from Kat. Kat didn't seem to mind and Dec knew it was because they wanted to make sure he didn't fall into the lava far, far below.

But to be honest, Dec didn't mind the extra safety measures either. He didn't particularly want to become a deep-fried demigod.

"Isn't this amazing? Flying, I mean?" User called, leaning slightly forward to increase his already quick speed.

"It's the best feeling ever!" Dec yelled back, letting out a thrilled scream when Kat dropped down suddenly to avoid smashing Dec's head into a stalactite of glowstone.

_"I see you're enjoying yourself," _Kat chuckled. _"Hold on tight, Declan. We're going to take a sharp turn."_

Dec grasped Kat's collarbone firmly as she swung around a pile of netherrack, barely missing a zombie pigman's outstretched sword. The pigman squealed in surprise, dropping his golden sword as he stared at the strange flying procession.

Dec felt disappointment rise as he saw the faint purple glow of the Nether portal. Kat slowed down and lowered herself down to the ground, letting Dec clamber off of her back.

"Thanks for the ride, Kat," Dec murmured, leaning on a piece of netherrack to keep him upright. User landed and came over, letting Dec wrap his left arm around his shoulders to help support him.

_"No problem! It was fun!" _Kat flashed three grins at Dec, her left head adding in a bit of laughter. She rose back into the air without another word and flew away speedily.

User stared at the trail of wither smoke in Kat's wake, half-smiling.

"Come on, Dec, let's get you home," User helped Dec over to the portal. Dec glanced behind him, seeing the looming structure of his father's temple through the red mist. Dec still found it hard to believe that Dianite was his father, but it fit all the strange events that had happened in his life, such as only being able to talk to Nether mobs. Overworld mobs were mute to him, which made sense since they were in Mianite's domain.

"Declan?" Dec turned around and met User's gaze. "Are you ready?"

Dec suddenly felt nervousness take hold of him. "What – what will the others say once I'm back?" Dec trembled. "I don't want them to chase me away again."

"Number one, every living thing in the Overworld has been scouring the land for you, Dec. Tucker and Jordan have thrown aside everything to search every corner of the world. Champwan and Tom are so distraught they can barely even help with the search. Aurey can't walk by your house anymore without bursting into tears and Sonja is praying desperately to Mianite every day. Number two, if for any reason, any of those people wanted you gone, they would have to get through me," User eyes were filled with a hard determination.

Dec half-smiled, stepping into the swirling purple portal. There was a loud swooshing sound and Dec blinked, back in the courtyard of his old home. He heard User teleport through as well, but Dec suddenly gasped, his hand going to his head as a wave of unexpected dizziness washed over him.

User caught the priest before he collapsed, grunting a little bit. Dec blinked several times, his vision still blurry and swimming like he had nausea.

"I don't think that portal was good for me," Dec murmured right before he blacked out.

XxX

Dec awoke lying on a soft bed under two thick woolen blankets. He recognized the house he was in as User and Twisted's house and guessed that User had carried him there after he had fallen unconscious.

Dec sat up and with a sudden twinge of surprise, realized his arm didn't hurt anymore. When he glanced down at his arm, the skull outline was no more than pale white scars.

"Good morning Dec," Dec jumped, startled at the sound of Twisted's voice. The half-wizard was leaning casually against the opposite wall, his brown leather jacket slung over his shoulder. He smiled when he saw Dec looking at him and walked over to Dec's side. "How are you feeling?"

"Not quite so wretched," Dec responded, his voice sounding raspy. "I could use some water though."

"I'm not surprised," Twisted smirked, placing his hand on Dec's forehead to check for a fever. "You've been out of it for three days but at least it's given you time to heal."

"Three days?" Dec asked. Twisted nodded, raising Dec's arm to check on his scars. Dec didn't protest, instead just watching as the half-wizard nodded as if he was pleased. "Has User told the others yet?"

"Yesterday," Twisted responded, sitting down on the edge of Dec's bed. "I thought Champwan was going to break down our door he wanted to see you so badly, but User convinced him to wait until you regained enough strength to withstand an overjoyed hug."

Dec laughed, his eyes sparkling with a humour that had been lost for so long. "And everyone else?"

"Well let's see," Twisted thought for a few seconds. "Aurey was crying out of joy, Sonja practically melted from relief, Tucker was so happy you had been found, Jordan couldn't even speak he was so emotional, and Tom was just smiling like crazy, but sobbing at the same time."

Dec smiled, closing his eyes for a heartbeat. "Can I go outside for a little while? Just to sit on a bench or something and get some fresh air?" Twisted nodded and helped Dec up out of his bed.

Dec took one shaky step after another until he reached the stairs. Twisted almost had to carry Dec down the stairs to make sure the priest wouldn't trip and fall. After that, Dec slowly hobbled out of the door and with Twisted's help, sat down on a bench just outside the house.

"I need to go inside and fix dinner. Will you be alright out here on your own?" Twisted asked. Dec snorted in amusement.

"Yes, mother," Dec smirked. Twisted rolled his eyes and walked back into the house, leaving outside in the garden. Dec smiled, inhaling in the scent of fresh air. He noticed a bright orange blur rapidly approaching User and Twisted's house and eventually, the blur faded into Sonja.

"Declan!" Sonja cried, voice bright with happiness. She skidded to a halt in front of Dec, her leaf-green eyes shining. "You're really back!"

"Course I am," Dec joked. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Sonja grinned. "I'm just so thrilled you're finally back! We were all getting so worried!"

Dec's smile slowly faded and his eyes darkened. "All of you?" He challenged, "Because last time I saw Jordan it looked like he never wanted to see me again."

Sonja's face fell. "We trialed him for breaking the rules in the arena and he claimed he didn't know what came over him. We still made him pay diamonds as a fine, but he was really upset."

"Was he now?" Dec hated to dampen Sonja's bright, bubbly nature but he had a sneaking suspicion it was all a ruse. Sonja visibly deflated.

"We never meant to hurt you, Dec," Sonja murmured. "I – please, whatever you do, don't run away again. Please."

"Why shouldn't I?" Dec grumbled. "If you don't like me, then just say it outright."

"Dec!" Sonja pleaded. "That's what I'm trying to tell you! We_do _like you! We don't want you to leave!"

"Declan!" Dec jerked his head around, hearing the sound of User's voice. User was standing at the beginning of the path leading to the house, staring at Dec. "What are you -"

"Go away," Dec growled, glaring at User with an unfathomable hatred in his eyes. "You should have just left me to die. No one needs you."

Almost as soon as the words escaped his lips, Dec wanted to take them back. He wanted to run to User and apologize.

But it was too late.

User, complete shock and betrayal glimmering in his eyes, met Dec's gaze for a second.

Then, User turned and ran, his sobs breaking Dec's heart with every step the distraught wizard took away from him.

Now User was gone.

And it was all Dec's fault.

**I think everyone in Mianite needs to attend anger management sessions...**

**Random Observation: I forgot to mention in THS that Twisted was keeping his outfit of black jeans, white T-shirt, and brown leather jacket.**

**TheAmazingQwerty: Yay! Kat is awesome!**

**DiamondScribe: *sings Tom's feels chant***

**MyBrokenHeart123: SO MANY FEELZ! And thanks!**

**Ianitethecookie: So much sadness coming...**

**RusYRP: User did do good, but Dec snapped and things are gonna happen...**


	7. A Broken Heart

**Hey ya'll, it's Enderdeath! I hope you're having a great day, but I don't know if I'll make it any better with this new chapter... So yeah. This chapter has 1,091 words. NOTE: I do not own Mianite, any YouTubers mentioned, Minecraft, and really, I don't own anything except the idea. ALSO: I am ****not**** claiming the real Declan actually deals with this sort of thing, nor do I; this is purely fantasy.**

**Review replies up top today because you're gonna be - well, I'll keep you in suspense for now.**

**RusYRP: Dec _definitely _should have attended those sessions!**

**TheAmazingQwerty: USER! NO! *starts crying again***

**MyBrokenHeart123: Save those tears for later this chapter! You'll need 'em!**

**ironhideandratchet4ever: Such Darude Sandstorm took place on that day...**

**DiamondScribe: Your heart - it will be ripped to pieces by the feels in this chapter... I'm giving you a fair warning.**

**KittKaz: Haha! And just wait for the biggest cliffie EVER! (Literally and figuratively)**

**WARNING: IF ANY OF YOU ARE SENSITIVE TO MASSIVE FEELS, THIS CHAPTER IS FULL OF THEM**

Chapter 7

_Not so much of a happy birthday for Dec._

_So he was fifteen now, big deal. It wasn't like anybody would celebrate it. Once, there had been a time when there was cake and presents, but that was years ago, when Dec's mother was still alive._

_Now the only presents Dec got for his birthday was a black eye, and if he was lucky, a bite of non-moldy bread._

_Dec was rudely shaken out of bed by Multalta shoving him onto the floor. Dec grunted, scrambling to his feet. He was taller than Multalta now, and just as stockily built without the fat. But Dec was still young and refused to fight back against Multalta._

_"Well, boy, I suppose you remember what today is?" Multalta sneered._

_"It's probably another day where you get drunk and then beat me up," Dec scowled. Multalta's beady eyes narrowed but he didn't swing his fist at Dec._

_"You're fifteen, fool," Multalta growled. "Which means I can legally kick you out of the house now."_

_"Such joy," Dec grumbled. "And where will you earn the money to pay for your beer? I doubt you can find a job in this town, you lazy swine."_

_"Watch your tongue, boy!" Multalta roared. "And before you go running off into who-knows-where, I actually got a present for you."_

_"Yeah right," Dec shot back. "I'll believe that when – when -" Dec's eyes widened as Multalta brought out a mahogany box from behind his back and presented it to Dec._

_Dec cautiously took the box, never relaxing even though Multalta didn't strike at him. Dec opened the box, blinking at the sight that met his eyes._

_"A dagger?" Dec asked, genuine curiosity in his voice. "Why? This must have been expensive."_

_"It was," Multalta grumbled. "But it was worth it to see you die."_

_Dec almost dropped the box. "Wha – what?" he stuttered._

_"It was worth the price to see you die," Multalta's eyes gleamed with malice. "This is a finely crafted blade, boy. Made only for cutting – cutting into human flesh."_

_Realization dawned on Dec and he drew in a sharp intake of breath. "You got me the gift of death," Dec murmured. "I always knew you hated me, but – death?"_

_"Hate is a powerful word, boy," Multalta laughed cruelly. "Death can be caused be hate. So show me what you can do with that dagger."_

_Dec picked up the dagger, holding the solid obsidian handle gingerly, as if he were afraid it would burn him. Dec looked at Multalta, an expression devoid of all life set upon his face._

_And without another word, Dec drove the dagger into the lit, oil-filled lantern by the side of his bed._

_Multalta screamed as he realized Dec's plan, but it was already too late._

_Dec flung the lantern onto the floor, smashing it. As he suspected, there were so many places were alcohol had seeped into the floor, that the wooden boards caught fire almost instantly. Dec leapt over the quickly spreading flame, shoving Multalta aside using nothing but his brute strength._

_Dec escaped the house, running into the woods with the dagger still in hand as his old house went up in flames behind him._

_Later that night, when Dec returned to the place where his house had once stood, it was nothing but charred and smoking ruins. He felt no regret for what he had done, no remorse for destroying all he had ever known, no pity or guilt for ending his stepfather's life in that way._

_It was silent._

_And Dec welcomed the silence._

XxX

I stared at the drop in front of me, debating if I should really do it.

He had said no one needed me.

Maybe he was right.

After all, what was I? A measly wizard who could never get anything right. Who cared if I had been blessed by Khione? I couldn't even be a good friend for Twisted when he needed me the most. He had run away and I couldn't stop him.

Yeah, no one needed me.

The wind whistled past me, ruffling my hair. The breeze was strong up here, just a few blocks below world height. A mountain formation like this was beyond hard to find. I called it Devil's Claw; an apt name seeing how it curved out of the ground like a giant demon trying to escape from its imprisonment underneath the world.

I took another deep breath, remembering why I had fled here. I had come here to end it. To put an end to my uselessness.

Wizards could be killed. They could be killed by smite weapons. They could be killed by other wizard's spells. They could be killed by the Void.

They could also be killed by falling from a very high place.

Like Devil's Claw.

There was nothing but rocky, boulder-filled ground below this. When I jumped, there would be no soft landing. But at least it would be painless.

As long as I landed facing the right way.

If I landed on my back, I would not die instantly, but instead have to face days in agony before death finally overcame me.

I hoped no one would miss me too much. After all, if they didn't need me, what use was I to them?

So I took one last breath.

And jumped.

At first it felt like flying. The wind was under me, keeping me aloft in the air. I closed my eyes, feeling a few tears trickle down my cheeks, only to be torn away be the wind.

Then, an abrupt change in the wind currents decided to completely screw up my landing.

I suddenly found myself flipped over onto my back by a strong gust of wind and I screamed, flailing my arms and legs as I tried to right myself.

It was too late.

The impact sent red flashing across my vision and I screamed again, agony racing through my body. I slid off the boulder that I had landed on, smearing a trail of bright red blood, and slamming into the pebbly ground.

I – I couldn't move.

I could hear my heart pounding frantically against my chest and I felt blood trickle out of the corner of my mouth.

Metallic blood completely filled my mouth and I coughed, the movement sending more pain racing through me.

My life had turned into one big cloud of torment and anguish.

I coughed again, agony gripping me as I fell unconscious, alone and dying in the most painful way possible.

**It - it feels like someone tore my heart right out of my chest and crushed it into a thousand tiny pieces... *cries***

**Random Observation: Have a poem depicting the second part of this chapter.**

**Taken lightly, never thought  
>A snap, a tear, a broken heart<br>Chasing winds and down the cliff  
>Hope and laughter thus depart<br>Dreaming not of happy times  
>Only darkness creeping in<br>A stolen life, the blackest fate  
>Loss of hope, thief of grin<br>Howling winds atop a cliff  
>Matter not for a broken heart<br>Deadly rocks below the cliff  
>Only matter for life to part<br>Splayed and limp  
>But living pain<br>Suffering death  
>And energy slain<strong>


	8. The Day the Music Died

**Hey ya'll, it's Enderdeath! I hope you're having a great day, but I don't know if I'll make it any better with this new chapter... So yeah. This chapter has 1,208 words. NOTE: I do not own Mianite, any YouTubers mentioned, Minecraft, and really, I don't own anything except the idea. ALSO: I am ****not**** claiming the real Declan actually deals with this sort of thing, nor do I; this is purely fantasy.**

**WARNING: MORE MASSIVE FEELS COMING UP**

Chapter 8

When Dec found User, he had almost screamed so loudly that he'd have caused an avalanche.

Twisted came running, wailing in distress when he too, saw User's limp form sprawled out over the sharp, bloodstained rocks. They had thought he was dead; that it was already too late.

But then Dec had heard User's uneven, clattering breath, signifying that the wizard was alive. Twisted had pointed out that User would never survive, but Dec had insisted that they at least bring him home where, and when the time came, they could both be there in User's final moments.

So he had been brought back to the house three days ago and was lying in his bed, his face thin and pale. He was still breathing, but only just. He had uncountable internal injuries, most of which were broken bones that had pierced vital organs. He hadn't opened his eyes once and he remained limp and completely still, save for the ragged rising and falling of his chest.

User wasn't dead yet, but it wasn't looking good.

Dec sat on a chair by the side of User's bed, gripping User's hand like it would save his life. Twisted had just gone downstairs, murmuring something about eating. Dec couldn't care less about food at this point, not when User's life was hanging on by a thread.

It was only then that Dec noticed the silence.

It was the same silence he had heard while he was staring at his mother's corpse. It was the same silence he had heard when his old house had burned down. It was the same silence that had filled the air after he had fallen ill.

It was a silence that signified death.

"User!" Dec cried. He tightened his grip on User's limp hand, searching the wizard's face for any sign of life. User's gaunt face was deathly pale, and no air escaped his lips.

"Twisted!" Dec yelled, his words edged with panic. Twisted came tearing into the room, crying out in shock when he saw User's limp form.

"User, no!" Twisted wailed, rushing over to User's side and kneeling down next to Dec. "No, no, no, no, no! User, please wake up! Please, look at me. Look at me!" Twisted's voice rose to a scream, tears streaming down his cheeks. He slowly slumped down over User's body, sobbing into the wizard's unmoving chest.

Dec felt tears form a river down his face and he gasped, more tears catching in his throat. He felt sorrow grip his heart and he kept on sobbing harder and harder.

"Dec!" Dec looked up and saw Twisted staring at him in a panic. "Calm down! Calm down - you're going into shock!"

But Dec couldn't calm down. User was dead and it was all his fault. His lungs started to hurt and he felt his brain going foggy from the lack of air.

"Dec, just breathe. Look at me, Dec!" Twisted's voice made Dec look up again, hardly able to see the wizard through his tears. "Breathe, Dec. Come on, don't go into shock on me. Breathe. In, out, in, out."

Eventually Dec calmed down enough to the point where he could think clearly. He was still crying but it was more controlled now.

"He - he's dead, Twisted," Dec choked out. "He's d - dead and it's a - all my fau - fault."

Twisted said nothing, but his sobs were enough to hear. He hung his head, wiping away tears with the back of his hand. Dec leaned forwards and embraced Twisted in a hug.

Twisted and Dec stayed like that for a long time, hugging and crying over User. Dec was taking it particularly badly, replaying over and over the moment where he had snapped at User.

"I just can't believe it," Twisted whispered. "I never thought User would ever - ever be that distraught."

"It was all - all my fault," Dec sobbed, squeezing his eyes shut. "If I had never opened my mouth, User wouldn't be - wouldn't be dead."

"I won't say it's all right," Twisted murmured, casting a glance at User's lifeless body, "because it's not."

Dec sobbed a little bit harder.

"I was the push that turned into a shove," Dec turned away, rubbing his right arm and remembering the sharp pain that used to accompany it. "A shove off the cliff."

"Blaming ourselves won't make it any better," Twisted took deep breath. "I just never dreamed this would happen. That this -" Twisted squeezed User's cold hand, "- would be the end. User has saved my life so many times and I feel so guilty because I couldn't save his."

"He saved my life too - physically and emotionally," Dec swallowed. "And now it was all wasted."

Without another word, Twisted scooped up User bridal-style and stood up. Dec choked back another sob as User's head lolled lifelessly against Twisted's chest.

"Where are you taking him?" Dec asked, standing up as well.

"To the goddess Khione," Twisted responded dully. "Maybe - maybe she can give him a proper wizard's burial."

Dec sobbed all the harder as Twisted carried User down the stairs, leaving Dec alone in the silent, empty room.

XxX

"Twisted?" Dec asked dully. "What's the goddess Khione like?"

Twisted glanced over at Dec, his eyes red from crying. "I've never met her myself," Twisted admitted, his voice sounding like he had given up completely.

"I have," Wag, who was guiding the cart, answered. It was, after all, his horse who was pulling the cart where User lay. It was necessary for him to come along. "She is a mystical young goddess, very kind and very interested in mortals. She likes to test people though, so be wary and be prepared."

"I'll keep that in mind," Dec muttered, leaning back against the side of the cart. His left hand was resting on the box that held User's body, broken in its final days.

Dec knew he would never be able to forgive himself. He was the one who pushed User to do this. He would never be able to undo what he did.

They rode in silence for a long while, the clopping of Khione's hooves against the trail the only sound. No one could find any energy or motivation for a conversation, not with such a heavy burden placed upon them. It was as if, with User's death, all life had been drained from the atmosphere. Even the trees seemed duller, the clouds steel gray, and Dec's scarlet shirt bleached of all brightness.

No one said it but they all knew that they already missed User's cheerful personality. The way he could turn a gloomy situation into a joke, quick as a snap. The way he was always hyper, ready for anything. The way his eyes gleamed when he had an idea or the way he danced around when his idea worked.

But more than anything, they missed his singing.

He was often heard singing a song in ancient Rune, or even just humming a perky tune. He could turn anything into a song, be it silly or sorrowful. User's overabundance of energy was channeled into his music which everyone enjoyed.

It was the day the music died.

***sings* So... bye, bye, Miss American Pie, drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry...**

**Random Observation: Did anyone else feel that? That cracking inside their chest? Yeah, it really hurt.**

**TheAmazingQwerty: If these tears keep up, we're going to float away into space again.**

**MyBrokenHeart123: *sobs with you***

**RusYRP: Agreed!**

**Ianitethecookie: I don't doubt it.**

**DiamondScribe: I'm guessing even more feels just slapped you in the face... I'm sorry.**


	9. Hopeless

**Hey ya'll, it's Enderdeath! I hope you're having a great day, but I don't know if I'll make it any better with this new chapter... So yeah. This chapter has 1,259 words. NOTE: I do not own Mianite, any YouTubers mentioned, Minecraft, and really, I don't own anything except the idea. ALSO: I am ****not**** claiming the real Declan actually deals with this sort of thing, nor do I; this is purely fantasy.**

Chapter 9

"We're here," Wag pulled up on Khione's reigns, bringing the mare to a halt. Dec looked up with dull eyes, studying what was in front of him.

It looked like a small temple-turned-house. It had brown and silver stained windows and was made out of mostly brown stained clay and light gray wool. It was the size of a normal house, but it was made like a shrine of some sort, with quartz accents.

Dec watched as Wag hopped off of the cart, walking up to the simple wooden door, his feet dragging in the dust. The wizard knocked on the door and soon after, it was flung open by a pretty young woman, with strange silver hair and chocolaty brown eyes.

"Bring him in," The young woman said quickly, not giving Wag a chance to speak. When she looked at Dec and Twisted, they obediently dismounted the cart and going around to each side, lifted User's makeshift coffin out and together, carried it into the temple-house under the woman's watchful eye.

"My lady, Khione," Wag bowed before the woman, his eyes solemnly downcast on the floor. Khione, eyes glittering with sadness, rested her hand on Wag's shoulder.

"Don't worry, I will help you," Khione appeared to read Wag's mind. "But you came here seeking something different, didn't you?"

Dec glanced up, confused. What did the goddess mean? They only brought User here for a proper burial.

Khione smiled gently. "My mother, Ianite, has never been able to affect life and death quite as drastically as she hopes. Oftentimes, her resurrected souls end up being zombies and living, yet not alive. Now, I have practiced this talent for millennia. If someone were to show me a dead god, I have no doubt that I would be able to revive them."

Dec blinked, knowing what Khione was saying but hardly believing it true. "Do – do you mean to say you can bring User back to life? Would you be willing to?"

Khione turned to face Dec. "I gave this young wizard his powers. I do not want my gift to be wasted so easily." Dec flinched, averting his gaze.

"Why are you troubled, young priest?" Khione asked, tilting her head.

"I killed him," Dec choked out, blinking back tears once again. "I told him no one needed him and he – he jumped." Dec kept his eyes trained on the floor as he heard Khione walk closer. His friends were silent and Dec forced himself not to sob aloud.

Dec looked up when he felt Khione's cool hand against his cheek. She was staring at the priest sadly and with a sudden start, Dec's realized the goddess's eyes were glistening with tears.

Khione opened her mouth to speak but was cut off by a loud rumbling noise in the earth. Dec jumped back as a column of black smoke suddenly billowed up from the floor beside him.

The smoke cleared to reveal Dianite, his arms crossed and his tail lashing. Wag flinched away and Twisted tried to hold back a yelp, which ended up coming out as a squeak.

"You say you require a sacrifice - specifically of my son - to resurrect your wizard?" Dianite spoke smoothly, his marbled white eyes trained on Khione.

"You cannot summon life without some source of power," Khione argued, her voice hiding a thinly veiled anger.

Dianite shrugged. "You may be right - but I will not allow Declan to give up his powers and potentially kill himself."

"I don't care!" Dec shouted, desperation consuming him. Dianite turned to look at him as Dec continued. "I would do anything for User! He saved my life!"

"I know he did," Dianite said gently. "I was the one who led him and Kat to you."

Dec stared at the god, dumbstruck and momentarily speechless. Dianite helped User find him when he was lost in the Nether?

"Now, my dear niece," Dianite turned his stare back to Khione. "I have never been an active part of Declan's life. I feel like I owe something to him."

Khione's eyes gleamed. "A mortal couldn't harness a god's full power," She warned.

Dec realized what was happening. Dianite was offering to give up part of his powers so User could live again.

And he was doing it for Dec.

"So what about part of it?" Dianite smirked. "I can regain my strength after a little while. Your wizard will live. Neither of us can object."

Khione pursed her lips, clearly disliking Dianite's sass. "I can object to you being a smart aleck," She shot back.

"But you won't because I'm just so full of charm," Dianite laughed. Khione put her face in her hands for the count of five seconds.

"You. Are. The. Biggest. Ass. Ever." Khione glared at Dianite.

"Love you too, sweetheart," Dianite dodged Khione's fist.

"Call me 'sweetheart' again and I'll kill you right out," Khione growled. "And you are drastically slimming the chances of me wanting to work with you, even for User."

"Okay, okay, fine," Dianite rolled his eyes. "You're no fun."

"And you expected me to be all laughter and rainbows?" Khione hissed. Her eyes narrowed, "User is dead. How can I be happy when such an abundance of life and energy was wasted?"

"That's why I'm here," Dianite took a step forwards, towards Khione. "To bring that energy back to life."

Khione huffed, turning her back to Dianite. "How do I ever tolerate you?" Khione muttered, stalking across the room to a quartz altar.

Dec, who had been watching the gods' conversation with wide, fascinated eyes, blinked as if he was just coming to his senses. "What now?" He asked Khione.

"Put User up here," Khione tapped the altar. "Dianite, make sure you have something to sit down on. This is going to be painful for both you and User if it works." Dianite grunted and summoned a small stool made of cobblestone, placing it down near the altar.

Twisted picked up User, cradling him in his arms. He carried the lifeless wizard over to the altar, setting him down gently on the marbled surface. User lay sprawled on the cold stone, resting on his back. Blood was still smeared around the edges of his mouth.

Khione approached the lifeless wizard, her silky silver hair appearing to glow in the dim lighting. She walked around the altar so that she was facing where Dec and his friends waited. Dianite sat slightly to her left, arms crossed and eyes narrowed as he watched the goddess.

Khione took a deep breath and closed her eyes, beginning to chant.

_"Pavogtų__ mintys, grįžimas prie sielos, nors galia nežinoma, savo gyvenimo kontrolė"_ Khione spoke powerful, her words seeming to reverberate in on themselves. Dianite suddenly gasped and his eyes widened.

Dec rushed over to his father as the devil fell off the stool, writhing around on the floor with his eyes squeezed tightly shut. Twisted yelped and pulled the priest back; not a moment too soon as Dianite's pointed tail slashed through the space where Dec's feet had been half a second before.

Dec stared at his father as Dianite's struggle subsided. The god inhaled deep heavy breaths, eventually getting his breathing back to normal. He opened his eyes slowly, and immediately glared at Dec.

"Well?" Dianite snapped. "Is he alive?"

Dec suddenly switched his attention back to User. The wizard was still limply sprawled on the altar.

Khione was staring dejectedly at the ground.

User still wasn't breathing.

The spell had failed.

User was dead.

**I am so sorry for destroying any sense of hope that you had left...**

**Random Observation: Hey Qwerty, remember how I told you _A_ god could not revive User? Try _TWO_ gods! Except even that...**

**MyBrokenHeart123: I'm not surprised...**

**RusYRP: I'll most likely be soul-car shopping with you...**

**TheAmazingQwerty: NO! DON'T LEAVE FF! I ONLY KILLED OFF ONE OF THE BEST WIZARDS EVER!  
><strong>

**ironhideandratchet4ever: I don't blame you. I would be done with me too.**

**DiamondScribe: User didn't do anything to me! User is my bae! #Usder!**

**Ianitethecookie(1): Dat feelz dough...**

**Ianitethecookie(2): ...I never realized I was such a powerful writer...**

**KittKaz: I'm reallyreallyreally sorry... and mint chocolate chip ice cream is delicious! Great for soothing painful feels!**


	10. Joy

**Hey ya'll, it's Enderdeath! I hope you're having a great day, and I hope to make it even better with this new chapter. This chapter has 1,160 words. NOTE: I do not own Mianite, any YouTubers mentioned, Minecraft, and really, I don't own anything except the idea. ALSO: I am ****not**** claiming the real Declan actually deals with this sort of thing, nor do I; this is purely fantasy.**

Chapter 10

"Why didn't the spell work?" Dec screamed at Khione, tears blurring his vision. Dianite scrambled to his feet, eyes widening in shock.

"It – it failed?" Dianite sounded more stunned than anything else. "How? Why?"

"I do not know," Khione murmured, her gaze trained on the floor. "I – it was all right and it just…" She trailed off, unable to continue.

Dec walked over to User as if he was in a trance, his eyes staring at nothing and his feet dragging against the floor. Dec gazed at User's face, desperately hoping for some sign of life.

No.

No way.

There was no way in all the Nether.

And yet, slowly but surely, User started to breathe again. At first, his breaths were faint and barely audible. But colour began to return to the wizard's face and his eyes fluttered open.

"User?" Dec whispered very quietly. User gave a shuddering sigh and ever so slowly, turned his head to face Dec, breaking out into a wide grin when he saw the priest.

"If only you could see your face right now," User laughed softly.

Dec smiled, but he could feel tears running down the corners of his eyes. "You were freaking _dead_," Dec whispered, "And all you can think about is how funny my expression looks?"

User only grinned wider, and Dec couldn't restrain himself any longer. He practically leapt up onto the altar, collapsing onto User and hugging the wizard, weeping and laughing at the same time.

"You're alive," Dec murmured over and over, feeling User hug him back. "You're alive."

"Not if you keep squishing me flat like you're doing right now," User joked. Dec rolled off, blinking apologetically, but User grabbed his hand. "I missed you," User murmured.

"User!" Twisted's overjoyed squeal interrupted Dec's thoughts. User smiled as Twisted rushed over to him, tackling him into a hug. Wag also ran over and crushed both Twisted and User in a double hug. Dec, having already celebrated the joy of User's return, stood back a little ways, grinning and blinking back emotional tears.

Eventually, everyone calmed down and User was able to climb off the altar, though he had his arm thrown over Twisted's shoulders and was leaning heavily on the half-wizard. Dianite had disappeared shortly after User woke up and Khione was busy on the other side of the room, bending down over something in what looked like complete concentration.

"Man, it feels good to be alive again!" User smiled, breathing in deeply. "Though I've experienced so much near-death recently, what with the fiasco with Twisted and me, you'd think it'd be a relief to finally die!"

No one could resist laughing and Khione glanced over at them, her eyes sparkling. "User?" She called over, "Do you remember the blessing I gave you, centuries ago?"

"How could I forget, my Lady," User smirked. "You gave me the blessing of hope. I _hope _I've done well."

"Though anyone would think I had given you the gift of puns," Khione rolled her eyes. "Dec, could you come over here for a minute?"

Dec obediently walked over to the goddess, though somewhat hesitantly as well. Khione took a small item off of the table behind her and at first glance, it became clear that it was an envelope.

"Cast away your old life and then read this," Khione gave the letter to Dec. Dec glanced at the envelope, then back up at the goddess only to find that she had vanished.

"Well then," Wag commented. "What are everybody's thoughts on heading home from this little adventure?"

XxX

The heat was hot and the ground was dry, but Dec and User were full of laughter.

It had been weeks since User had been resurrected and in the time, he had been happier than ever, but there were some moments where he would abruptly fall silent and stare blankly into nothing.

Dec knew that being in the world of the dead had scarred User emotionally. There would be times, when he was still recovering and staying in User and Twisted's house, that the wizard would wake up screaming from nightmares and be a shivering wreck for hours after. User refused to tell anybody about the place of the afterlife, but Dec could see the terror in his eyes whenever anybody brought it up.

But other than that, things were back to normal. Dec and User were strolling through the Nether now, laughing and talking as the ghasts whined and the pigmen grunted around them.

Completely normal.

Just like it was completely normal for Dianite to suddenly materialize in front of the two and snatch away the mahogany box that Dec held.

"Oh come on," Dec protested, unafraid as Dianite's eyes narrowed. "Couldn't I at least have the honour of tossing that thing in lava myself?"

Dianite stared at Dec, but didn't hand the box back. "No," Dianite said simply. "The dagger holds too much power and spite. It was enchanted with a curse – en evil one. More evil than I and all the things in the Nether." This earned a snort from Dec and a glare from Dianite. "I'm serious. The moment I saw that blade, I knew you were cursed with the burden of carrying this."

"You got that right," Dec rolled his eyes. User huffed in annoyance and lightly smacked the priest's shoulder as a warning. "But still, I'd like to have you give it back to me so I can have the satisfaction of watching it disintegrate in lava."

Dianite eventually handed the box back to Dec, his gorgonizing white gaze never softening. "Do what you wish with it then. But remember Declan. I am – and always have been – proud of you as my son."

Dianite dematerialized, leaving Dec and User standing side by side, just as they were mere minutes ago. The two friends shared a glance and they continued walking as though nothing had happened.

Eventually, Dec and User reached a netherrack cliff overhanging a lava ocean far below. Dec walked up to the very edge and took the dagger out of its box.

Dec stared at the diamond blade one last time.

And with a smile, threw it down, down, down, into the lava.

"Casting my old life away," Dec murmured, sitting down with his legs dangling over the edge of the cliff. He pulled the envelope out of his pocket, took out a letter, and started to read it with User peering over his shoulder.

_'__Declan_

_Through all your life, the gods have been watching, waiting for you to make the right choice. What you have just done was entirely your choice – but it was the right one. The gods are proud of you as their priest. Be strong. Be faithful.'_

Dec finished reading Khione's letter and turned around, smiling at User. It wasn't always that situations like this had a happy ending.

But Dec sure was grateful that he had friends like his.

**Gorgonizing is a word that went out of use decades ago, but it means 'mesmerizing.'**

**Random Observation: A HAPPY ENDING! IT'S A MIRACLE!**

**RusYRP: I hope it met your expectations!**

**TheAmazingQwerty: Okay... I guess you aren't gonna see the happy ending then...**

**MyBrokenHeart123: Okay - I DIDN'T! I DIDN'T DO IT!**

**ironhideandratchet4ever: Have I healed you yet?  
><strong>

**Ianitethecookie: Yeah! The Dianite vs. Khione scene was SO MUCH FUN TO WRITE! It reminded me a bit of the Aurey vs. Capsize argument.**

**Lieutenant Side Salad: I love this side of Dianite! Dianite FTW!  
><strong>

**DiamondScribe: So I can make you happy in the end!**

**KittKaz: USER IS MY BAE! USER SHALL ALWAYS RETURN!**

**Well, now that TPD is over, it's time for the next story. I'm not putting a definite date on when it will be out because it will possibly take longer to get ready. But I hope all of you have an excellent holiday season!**


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